Tis The Season To Be Happy!

As I drive home, the bare branches gently swaying, dancing against the colorful sky bring me a kind of joy I cannot describe. The winter sky in the backdrop seems to be working hard to give us spectacular colors to make up for the shorter days we have. What is lacking in the surroundings is pretty much made up by the sky! Yet, I see the beauty and a pattern in what seems to be the chaos of the branches. Mind races to spring when these very branches will be filled with little leaves hiding the very same patterns, the chaos yet reminding me of the time not so long when the same branches with colorful leaves were getting ready to bare themselves for all of us to see! A fleet of geese making a pattern in the sky urge me to pull over and revel in the beauty of the sight in front of me.

DD wakes up late with a "Mom! I woke with a 'pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird' (Say it fast enough a couple of times and you will hear it too!) tweet from birds this morning. It is a beautiful sunny day for winter. We all secretly hope it snows but the sky seems to be telling other wise! DD contemplates doing her "Snow day dance" something kids have come up with when they want a 'snow day' from school. She decides against it. It is Christmas eve and she doesn't want to feel bad if her dance does not work. Makes sense, doesn't it? Why take away the joy of Christmas voluntarily? We laze around the day with some hot chocolate, talking about Santa, previous Christmases and what not as we get the house ready for cousins' visit, while Santa has been busy the whole day shopping getting gifts for everyone.

It is almost evening! There are still a couple of houses we have to stop by and wish with some chocolates. Cloudy skies now tell us that it may snow. DS says, "Let us wait till it starts snowing." As we wait, the flurries begin to come down rapidly. I ask if we should walk - no takers including the dog. He sits down politely showing me all the respect in the world secretly hoping he will hear the car keys and the door open. I give in, we drive around the neighborhood with flurries coming down with gusto against the windshield, the neighborhood lit up beautifully for the festival and Christmas songs playing on the radio. As I finally get into the joy and spirit of the season with "It is Christmas where you are", "Do you see what I see", "White Christmas", I wonder as to why I was so caught up with news so much instead of the songs of the season, it is a different matter that the tree has been up for quite sometime now! I now understand what I often tell people who ask me if we celebrate the festival - how can one not feel the joy in the air! What is there not to celebrate? As my kids run around knocking on the doors, I take pictures from the warmth of my car. There is a serenity in watching the flurries coming down.

As we head back home, we decide to drive to Indian stores to get some snacks before we head back home. A snowy festive evening is incomplete without some hot samosas, Indian snacks and tea as we settle down to watch a movie with fire keeping us warm in the fire place!

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you! It is indeed the season to be happy!

 

Thank you @joylokhi, for your response. I can understand your feelings about cold yet, I can also see how your son's family might have adapted to the same. Cold does get to us but then we know there is spring to look forward to. I am glad my post may have helped you take your son's words about cold reassuringly. Personally for me Feb is the coldest and hardest month and every time I smile thinking how Feb has a couple of fewer days - coping mechanisms you see!

 

Thank you @Tamrakshar

 

Thank you Syamala for your words as always. You are right, the merriment around can only elevate the mood - off school I realized just that!

 

Perhaps only reasons, no matter what the season sir!